World of Concrete Supplement

WOC attendees will have plenty of opportunities to gain prestige, bragging rights and win prizes by entering in one of the many competitions to demonstrate their operational skills. They include:

Pettibone Telehandler Skills Competition
Over three days, contestants will test their operating and safety skills by driving telehandlers through an obstacle course. They will be judged on how quickly, safely and accurately they can complete the course. The winner will take home a 2009 Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Spec Mix Bricklayer 500
Twenty teams – one bricklayer and one tender – compete to lay a double wythe, 26-foot wall in 60 minutes. Winners from regional competitions from around the nation compete for the title of “World’s Best Bricklayer.”

Toughest Tender Competition
Mason tenders compete for the title of Toughest Tender. Awards will be given to the quickest tender in a field of 20. Watch as the winners of regional competitions race to set up their work zones.

Mack Truck Safety Skills Competition
This competition allows contestants to demonstrate their operating and safety knowledge of trucks. If you are qualified to drive a truck, bring your certification and test your skills.

John Deere Load America and Skid Steer Competition
Watch as pre-certified drivers demonstrate their operating and safety knowledge of front-end loaders. The competition consists of a series of activities designed to test contestants’ skills including: figure-8 pattern driving, ball drop, accurate rear-stops and more.

Liebherr’s Operators’ Precision Challenge
Contestants will have a chance to get their hands on a new Liebherr R924 compact swing excavator equipped with a quick coupler system.

Other highlights
The show includes the 4th annual Women in Concrete Luncheon and Forum, to be held 12-2 p.m., Wednesday, February 4.

The Greensite forum, held Thursday, February 5, 12 p.m.-2 p.m., allows contractors, producers and architects to share ideas on how to participate in the economy’s fastest growing segment, green building.

The Concrete Industry Management (CIM) National Steering Committee (NSC) is once again hosting an unreserved auction at the 2009 World of Concrete in Las Vegas. Concrete industry-related items will be auctioned off with all proceeds benefiting the CIM Program.

Seminars
World of Concrete 2009 offers a range of 90 minute and 3 hour seminars during the show. The seminars are $85 and $110, respectively. The 3-hour seminars are arranged by educational tracks, which include Concrete Fundamentals, Concrete Production, Concrete Repair, Decorative Concrete, Floors and Slabs, Masonry, Residential Concrete, Business and Project Management and Certifications and Exams.

Concrete Fundamentals track
Concrete Basics, Part I, II and III; Getting the Most Out of Your Formwork; Joints in Concrete; How to Handle Hot and Cold Weather Concreting; Tilt-Up: It’s a System; Constructing Quality Concrete Pavements.

Concrete Production track
Using Chemical Admixtures to Achieve Better Concrete; Self-Consolidating Concrete: The Real Story; Adding Water Onsite: To Add or Not to Add? Supplementary Cementing Materials for Durable and Sustainable Concrete; Concrete Mix Design Part I and II.

Floors and Slabs track
Basics of Concete Floors on Ground; Construction Details, Means and Methods to Avoid Floor Moisture Problems; Concrete Polishing and Processing – Techniques that Work; Shallow Foundation Design and Construction; Floor Flatness: Basics of F-Numbers; Reinforcement for Slabs on Ground: What it Will and Will Not Do; Keeping the Floor Flat; Concrete Shrinkage – Solutions to a Growing Problem.

Business and Project Management track
Estimating, Part I and II; What’s Needed to Attract and Retain the Workers You Need; The Business $uccess Blueprint for Contractors; How to Ensure Your Business Systems are Tuned and Running Well; How to Mentor Your Best People; Construction Field and Project Management Systems That Work!; People Management: Understanding Your Workforce; From Construction Worker to Construction Leader; NO YELLING: Nine Secrets of Leadership You Must Know to Win in Business; How to Turn Your Crew Into a High-Performance Team; Practical Planning and Scheduling of Construction Projects; 7 Non-Negotiables of a Successful Concrete Contractor; 25 Ways to Increase Profits; How to Manage, Quantify and Win Construction Disputes and Claims; Coaching for Peak Performance; Hard-Hat Productivity: The Nine Critical Factors for Maximizing Profits.